Indecision and Equivocation
by ZeWisher
Summary: A simple trip to the Fire Nation prompts a series of events that has further reaching repercussions than Katara expected. Zutara, Kataang, and various other side pairings.


Prologue

The soft sounds of sparrowkeets chirping filtered into the small room through the open window thanks to a lazy breeze, and sunlight poured in as well. All in all, the little room was quite peaceful, the warm air with the soft breeze making it feel like one of those days where all you wanted to do was sleep. Which was exactly what the lady in the room was doing. Her heavily lined, weathered brown face had an expression of utmost peace on it as she dozed, the loops of her steely gray hair resting on her face. A scroll was unrolled on her lap, obviously forgotten, and a small clay cup of tea that had long since gone cold was sitting next to her on a small side table.

Not that the old woman was allowed to keep napping for long. The unmistakable sound of bare feet hitting wood, at first rather faint before they got steadily louder and louder, managed to disturb her peace. The old woman stirred, opening one blue eye lazily as she looked over at the door. A little smile played on her lips as the footsteps came skidding to a halt on the other side of it and her eye closed again as she pretended to still be sleeping.

The door opened with a loud bang as a little girl burst into the room, her short chocolate brown hair flying every which way as she ran up to the old woman and tugged impatiently on the sleeve of her blue dress.

"Granny Katara! Granny Kataraaaa!" she cried as she tugged on her sleeve, her expression turning into a pout as the old woman continued to feign sleeping. "Grannyyy. Wake up! I have something REALLY important I have to ask you!"

A little smile twitched up the corner of the old woman's mouth as she opened her eyes slowly, yawning and stretching in an exaggerated fashion before she looked down at the girl who was giving her quite the impatient look. "And just what is so urgent that you have to wake me up from my nap then, hm?"

"Well," the girl said, taking a deep breath before she plunged on in a rush. "I was just talking to Grandad and I asked him how you fell in love but he was being a big meanie and he wouldn't tell me and he told me to ask mom to tell me but she wouldn't tell me either and she told me to tell you so I ran all the way here to ask you!" she paused for a moment to catch her breath, before she plunged on. "So how did you fall in love with Grandad? Was it love at first sight? Did he save you from an Armadillo Lion? Or from pirates? Or did he maybe save you from a falling boulder?"

"That's what you came running in here for?"

"Yes!"

"So you come thundering down the hall like a komodo rhinoceros, just to hear me tell you some boring old story?"

"Its not boring! It's bound to be filled with intrigue and adventure and there just has to be a big fight where you two nearly kill each other before you realize just how much you love each other!"

Katara simply couldn't hold it in any longer. Her mouth twitched a little before she burst out laughing, the little girl watching her impatiently and with a disapproving look on her face as she continued to laugh. Finally, after a good few minutes, Katara's laughter subsided and she reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"This is serious Granny!" the little girl with a very serious look on her face. But that look simply made Katara dissolve into laughter anew, her grandchild giving her an exasperated and impatient look as she waited for Katara to stop. At least this time she wasn't laughing for as long.

Katara gave her granddaughter a very long, very thoughtful look as the young girl looked right back at her, her gaze impatient. "That story is a long one dear… and not one I could tell you now." She said finally, her tone gentle and apologetic.

Katara's granddaughter scowled in response. "Everyone always says I'm too young! It's not fair! You guys never tell me anything!"

"Ah, but I never said I wouldn't tell you when you were old enough." Katara said, correcting her gently. "When you're old enough, I'll tell you the story from start to finish."

The little girl gave her a suspicious look. "…Promise?"

"Promise."

After pausing for a moment as she debated whether this was a fair trade, the little girl gave Katara a fierce little look, her eyes quite determined. "Fine! But I will hold you to your promise Granny Katara!" she said, pointing at her dramatically with her finger.

Katara just laughed, ruffling her hair affectionately before the child sprinted out of the room, her footsteps hammering away on the wood. Katara watched her go with a fond look in her eye before she sighed, looking back to the window as the sparrowkeets started to sing again. The story of her and her husband… now that was one she hadn't thought about for a while. It seemed like an age had passed since the old days. Slowly Katara's eyes began to droop, the memories of the past fresh like it had all only passed yesterday as she drifted back into slumber.

* * *

Author's Notes: Uhhmmm. yeah. D8 I don't.. really know if this is a good prologue really at all seeing as this is TECHNICALLY set years and years and YEARS after when the fic actually happens.

Hopefully this will make more sense once things get started.

But yeah.. comment please?


End file.
